Species projects

For species of small tree stature, narrow distribution or little economic importance, information on the amount and distribution of genetic variation is generally lacking. However, these species may be important ecologically or threatened by introduced diseases or insects, or by climate change.  Genetic knowledge is needed to guide seed transfer for ecological restoration.

In order to prioritize individual species for genetic studies, we conducted a survey and workshop to summarize current knowledge and information needs for British Columbia’s ‘minor’ tree species. Results from this workshop on prioritizing minor species for genetic conservation and research are available [sample extract – PDF 167 Kb].

To date, we have initiated research on three of the high-priority species:
Whitebark pine, Garry oak and Pacific dogwood.